Observation/Shadowing Experiences at Cook Children’s
Summer is just months away and the number of observation requests from our employees and community are increasing exponentially. Please carefully read the following information from the Academic and Medical Education department to expedite the request process:
Cook Children's employees interested in observing/shadowing in another area/department need to contact their supervisor and the leadership of the area/department. PTO should be submitted for observation experiences. There is no need to go through Academic and Medical Education.
Non-Employee observations provide an opportunity to explore future careers. We receive hundreds of observation requests annually so there are important steps to follow to provide an optimal learning experience for observers and staff.
Please be aware, to be approved for an observation:
- All observers must be at least 18 years of age.
- All observers must have already identified a preceptor or mentor for this placement request. The Academic and Medical Education department does not match students to mentors or preceptors.
- Observation hours may not be used for academic credit toward an academic degree or college course.
- All observers must be current on immunizations, including COVID-19, flu, MMR and varicella. (There are no allowable exceptions to vaccination for observers.)
- All observers must have current health insurance coverage and must be able to provide verification.
If the student meets all of the above requirements, please direct the observer to register their request here.
Once cleared, the observer and mentor will receive a clearance email and will be able to schedule the time and date(s) for the shadow experience.
Please note (per policy HR 711) observations are limited to a maximum of 40 hours annually and are contingent upon patient census and the availability of staff.
Please contact observation.education@cookchildrens.org if you have any questions or concerns.